Greece: Greece Accommodation Update – May 2019
Overview
By the end of May 2019, UNHCR had created 25,213 places in the accommodation scheme as part of the ESTIA programme. These were in 4,419 apartments and 14 buildings, in 14 cities and 6 islands across Greece.
The Accommodation Scheme1 provides rented housing to vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees in Greece. Urban accommodation helps restore a sense of normalcy and provides better access to services, including education and health. People are additionally supported by social workers and interpreters who help them access medical services, employment, language courses and recreational activities.
25,213 Number of accommodation places
4,433 Number of units
98% Occupancy rate
Demographics
In total, since November 2015, 58,422 individuals have benefitted from the accommodation scheme. 22,220 people were accommodated as of the end of May 2019, 7,272 of whom are recognized refugees. 49% of the residents are children. The clear majority of those accommodated are families, with the average family size of five people. More than one in three residents have at least one of the vulnerabilities that make them eligible for the accommodation scheme. The three most common vulnerabilities are:
11% Serious medical condition
3% Single parent
3% Disability
